Adaptation to Climatic Changes: Biodiversity and Agribusiness

The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) 26th edition is considered, by many specialists, the world's last chance to control the advance of climate change and achieve the goals related to the emissions reductions proposed in  Paris Agreement.  

During COP26, the countries will have the opportunity to update their emissions reductions plans under the Agreement. The voluntary reduction targets proposed by each country (NDCs) are updated every five years and aim to increase the previous proposal.

Nonetheless, as the COP26's President-Designate has stated, the commitments established in Paris have fallen short of limiting the advance of global warming. Although Brazil contributed only 2.9% of the net global emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in 2019, that number represents 9.6% more than its GHGs for the previous year, raising Brazil's rank to the seventh-largest emitter in the world. Brazil's agricultural sector is the second largest source of emissions in the country, representing more than 28% of the total GHGs emitted.

In this scenario, Brazil goes to COP26 committed to reach zero net GHG emissions in 2050, with discussions focusing on the use of land and forests and on agriculture since it did not fulfill the promise to reduce illegal deforestation made at COP21.

Considering such agenda, Brazil has made significant advances toward a low-carbon agricultural industry. One of the principle elements is the "Sector Plan on Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation to Consolidate a Low Carbon Emissions Economy in Agriculture" (known as the "ABC+ Plan"), the RenovaBio biofuels policy, the National Policy on Climate Change, the New Brazilian Forest Code, the Fields-Livestock-Forest Integration – ILPF program, use of no-till farming techniques, and use of renewable energy, according to Brazil's Ministry of Mines and Energy, almost half the electrical power produced in Brazil comes from renewable sources. Moreover, during the COP26, Brasil signed a global commitment document to reduce 30% of methane gas emission.

The sustainability of Brazil's agricultural industry was recognized in Socioeconomic and food security dimensions of climate change in the agricultural sector, a report published in April 2021 by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The report cites the ILPF as responsible for contributing to food security and social and economic development, since not only does the program promote recovery of degraded pastures, it offers different production systems for the land, improving soil fertility and optimizing and intensifying land use. The report also notes that the agricultural sector's productivity increased by 386%, the agricultural land area increased by only 83%, by reason of Brazil's investment in important public policies and science-based technology.

The ABC+ Plan also deserves attention. The Plan's guiding principles are to support the agricultural sector is facing the impacts of climate change and to help it become more resilient and sustainable, through the adoption of farming technologies that also reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Similarly, RenovaBio, Brazil's National Biofuels Policy, is aimed at expanding the share of biofuels in the nation's energy matrix, emphasizing the regular supply of fuel and foreseeability in the fuels market, fostering gains in energy efficiency and reductions in GHG emissions in the production, sale, and use of biofuels.

COP26 will be an opportunity for Brazil to establish the conditions needed for the agricultural industry to make its contribution to mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and decarbonising productive chains, and at the same time address the sector's need to adapt to climatic changes.